Coat holder



D. A. HOGAN Sept. 7, 1937.

COAT HOLDER Filed July 29, 1935 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1937 COAT HOLDER Daniel A. Hogan, Birmingham, Ala. Application July 29, 1935, Serial No. 33,683

6 Claims.

My invention relates to a device for holding or setting coats, and particularly coats that have been laundered or dry cleaned and placed on coat hangers for delivery, so that they will not hang in folds and become creased but will retain their smoothly pressed condition indefinitely.

At the present time, where coats are laundered or dry cleaned, it is the general practice to button the coat after mounting it on a coat hanger and before inserting it in a paper bag for delivery. Coats, particularly of wash suits and of light summer goods, have a tendency to slip out of position on the smooth metal hangers customarily used and this tends to draw the coat 1 out of shape and form wrinkles especially in the coats front panels. It is further true as a general rule, particularly with light coats, that when buttoned their fronts will hang in folds from a flat hanger and get out of shape. I have conceived that these troubles can be corrected by devising some means which will permit the coat, after it has been mounted on a. hanger, to be held in correct position on its hanger with its front panels left unbuttoned and lapped so that they will hang flat against each other free of folds. This requires that some device be applied which will hold the coat, with its front lapped, secure in position on the hanger and set so that it will reach the customer in unwrinkled condition.

I have conceived that such a device must be designed to interlock with the coats lapels in such manner as not to indent or otherwise affect the smooth pressed or rolled appearance of the lapel.

To this end I have designed a coat holder or set which engages in the notch of the coat lapels and comprises a cross element which lies loosely over the lapels and inturned tabs which engage under the lapels to draw the coat front panels together and secure the holder in position on the garment.

My invention contemplates the provision of such a holder with one or more pairs of securing tabs adapted to engage under the collar on each side above the notch.

My invention further contemplates rounding the upper corners of the holder so that they will not offer any obstruction on which the bag will hang as it is slipped down over the finished garment on the hanger.

My invention further contemplates cutting the holder of cardboard so that it can be very inexpensively produced and at the same time it will provide an excellent advertising display space on the cross band that loosely overlaps the lapels.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts which in several embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and which is hereinafter more particularly described.

According to the drawing:-

Fig. l is a view of my invention applied to a coat ready for insertion in a bag.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the form of holder shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the holder which is the preferred form.

Fig. 4 is a further modification of embodiment of my invention.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, I show a coat 5 mounted on a hanger 6 and on the point of being placed in a paper bag I such as is in general use to protect dry cleaned or laundered garments.

Where the garment is a coat, the practice been to button but such buttoned garment will not hang fiat but its front will fall into folds which form wrinkles. Where such garments are hung so as to be pressed together, as in the delivery wagon or truck, or on the hanger racks in the dry cleaners establishment or laundry awaiting delivery, or even in the customers closet, such folds in the front become the simplest has quickly set and the garment loses its neatly pressed effect. 7

I propose to set the garment on its hanger so that it will hang fiat and will be held against any tendency to fall into folds and thus become creased. To this end I use a holder 8 of cardboard, or like light stiff inexpensive stock, which is cut to provide a cross band 9 adapted to overlie the lapels l0 and be held in engagement with them by the provision, on each side, of an inwardly projecting bottom flap Ii adapted to be slipped under a lapel and a top tab !2 adapted to engage under the coat collar 13.

The side edges of the holder taper symmetrically to the bottom edge of its flaps H, the inner edges !3 of which fiare apart upwardly at an angle which roughly conforms to the pitch of its respective lapel, as these edges engage the fold of the lapels. Each edge 13 merges at its upper end into a transverse notch M which defines the upper edge of its respective flap and spaces it sufficiently from the cross band 9 to avoid any tendency to pinch or press on a lapel when in position between a flap and said band.

Each top tab 12 is defined by a notch 15 that it after mounting it on its hanger,

spaces it from the cross band 9 and avoids any tendency to pinch or press on the collar [3 in position between it and said band.

It will be noted that the upper corners of the holder 8 and flaps H are rounded as are the inner ends of the notches I l and I5 and the tip of each tab 12, thereby eliminating any part to catch on the bag 1 as it is lowered over the garment or to pinch or press against the garment.

In use, the coat is left unbuttoned on the hanger t3 and its front portions are lapped and hang flat and straight without folds or creases.

The holder 8 is then applied, the lapels being slipped into the notches M in position opposite the V-notch between the collar and lapels with the flaps l i engaged under the lapels and the tabs l2 caught under the collar. Thus placed the cross band lies lightly and freely across the lapels without pressing on or indenting them and by means of the opposed spaced flaps H engaging the fold of the lapels they are held in set position. The V-notches of the collar and the tabs prevent the holder working up or down so that it will hang lightly in set position while the garment is being bagged, transported and suspended in the customers closet, keeping the coat front in as perfect condition as when it left the presser.

In Fig. 3 I'show the preferred embodiment of my invention. Here the holder i8 is similar to 8 except that I extend its side edges higher so I can provide two pairs of tabs i9 and 2b, the

notches 2! between the tabs being extended be- .vond the notches I5 to adapt the holder for use with wider collars than can be fitted into the shorter spaced notches l5.

In Fig. 4 I show the most inexpensive form of my invention in which the holder 28 is similar to 8 except all tabs are omitted and the top edge of the cross band 9 merges in a curve into the side edges of the holder. Here the holder must rely on its flaps H to hold its cross band supported in the V-notches. of the lapels.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. A holder for the front of a coat, with lapels, hung on a coat hanger, comprising a body having flaps adapted to be engaged under the free edges of the lapels of the coat when its front sections of each tab from are unbuttoned and overlapped to hang smooth and flat, and a cross band connecting said flaps, there being an inwardly opening notch between each flap and said band in which the V-notch I of a lapel is adapted to be received.

2. A garment holder, comprising a body of stiiT material having therein a T-shaped notch opening through its bottom and forming a pair of flaps spaced from each other and from the top portion of the body which connects them and which are adapted to be engaged under the free edges of garment lapels to hold same in predetermined relative position,

3. A garment lapel holder, comprising a body of sheet cardboard having a cross band and below it a pair of opposed inwardly directed spaced flaps adapted to engage under lapels that are overlaid by said band, there being a notch to free and space the upper edge of each flap from said cross band and permit the inner edges of the flaps to engage the lapel fold.

4. A garment lapel holder consisting of a fiat cardboard body out out to provide a cross band, long enough to overlie and extend beyond the lapels of the garment, and a flap at each end of the band joined thereto and spaced in position for the free inner edges of said flaps to be engaged under the free outer edges of the garment lapels,

a pair of opposed inwardly extending spaced oollar engaging tabs above said cross band.

5. A garment lapel holder consisting of a fiat cardboard body out out to provide a cross band, long enough to overlie and extend beyond the lapels of the garment, and a flap at each end of. the band joined thereto and. spaced in position for the free inner edges of said flaps to be engaged under the free outer edges of the garment lapels, a pair of opposed inwardly extending spaced collar engaging tabs above said cross band, there being a notch to free and space the lower edge said cross band.

6. A garment lapel holder consisting of a flat cardboard body out out to provide a cross band, long enough to overlie lapels of the garment, and a flap at each end of the band joined thereto and spaced. in position for the free inner edges of said flaps to be engaged under the free outer edges of the garment lapels, two pairs of opposed inwardly extending spaced collar engaging tabs above said cross band, there being notches to define'and space adjacent tabs and the closed outer ends of one opposed pair of tab spacing notches being spaced further apart than the closed ends of the other opposed pair of tab notches.

and extend beyond the. 

